Free to Live Her Life as She Chooses
by LitLover 101
Summary: Takes place after TO 1x16. Rebekah finds herself returning to Mystic Falls for a new life with old company. A short tribute to the extraordinary Original sister. Part of my Klaroline one-shot series.


Takes place after TO 1x16. Rebekah finds herself returning to Mystic Falls for a new life with old company. A short tribute to the extraordinary Original sister. Part of my Klaroline one-shot series.

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries in any shape or form. That goes to Kevin Williamson, Julie Plec and the CW. **

**Hello, my lovey readers. There will be more short tributes to Rebekah and probably spinoffs of this one-shot depending up the reception of the story. Claire Holt will be missed until she returns, fingers crossed. Please, vote in Hypable's poll for Klaroline. The Last time I checked Klaroline has 48 % of the vote to the other couple's 52%, voting ends at 12 tonight. On with the show…**

**Free to Live as She Chooses:**

Nik had let her go finally. He had let her go to make a life for herself in whatever way she wanted as long as she never returned to New Orleans. On the road her thoughts turned to the one place that she had felt at home in for so long, Mystic Falls. Knocking on the door of Tyler Lockwood's mansion, she felt nervous about how she would be received.

Tyler had answered the door and looked shocked. Then he became suspicious, "Rebekah, what are you doing here?" He had asked, folding his arms over his chest, not moving a single inch to allow her entrance.

"Klaus has banished me for New Orleans," Rebekah had told him simply.

"Oh," Tyler's lips quirked upward. "You think that I would believe that? You came with him on his last trip here."

Sighing heavily, Rebekah shouldered her bag, "May I come inside?"

"Whatever," Tyler had said and stepped to the side to allow her entrance.

"Rebekah?" Matt had exclaimed when she walked into the Lockwood's Great room. "What are you doing here?"

"I was sent away by Nik. I can do what I please with my life and I choose to stay here. With you. If you'll have me." Rebekah replied quietly. "If you'll allow me to stay here," she added, turning to take in Tyler's response since this was his house even if Matt owned the tittle.

"Sure, why not. I love the idea of having the sister of my worst enemy under my roof," Tyler rolled his eyes as he spoke.

"Tyler," Rebekah called as the young hybrid tried to leave the room. "This will be different. You will see. I am no longer under my brother's control. I will do as I please now. And that means that you can think of me as just Rebekah. Not the Original sister."

"That is not what we called you," Matt muttered with a grin.

"Thank you for that," Rebekah replied with a laugh.

"So, then I guess you can stay for a while. But don't get too used to being here," Tyler muttered before going to bed.

Sitting down on the couch with Matt, Rebekah relaxed, "That went better than I expected."

Laughing, Matt stared at her, placing a hand on her thigh. "What are you going to do now that you're back?"

Thinking about her answer, Rebekah leaned back into her seat, "I thought I would like to college. I mean that is what people do after high school, correct?"

"Yeah, it is," Matt told her. "Unless you want to join me at the Grill."

Rebekah's eyebrows furrowed in disgust, "I do believe that I will have to pass on that tempting offer."

"But you would look so cute in one of those little aprons," Matt teased her as she moaned and then laughed it off. "Okay. Okay. Go to college. I'm telling you'll be begging to join me, pouring out beers to underage high school students who don't tip."

The next day Rebekah drove to Whitmore College and enrolled in Spring semester classes. The second order of business was to go to the dormitory that Elena, Caroline and Bonnie were living in. All of her classes were on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. This was a Tuesday. Knocking lightly on door, Rebekah truly hoped that one of three girls would be home.

"Oh, my God," Caroline had looked horrified by Rebekah's appearance at her door. She immediately tried to slam the door in Rebekah's face. "Whatever Klaus wants tell me I don't want it and I won't do it," Caroline snarled, pushing the door closed when Rebekah placed her hand on it and shoved it back open.

"I'm not here on behalf of my brother," Rebekah informed the baby vampire as she pushed the door back open. "I am here because I just enrolled in classes and I was hoping that I could find someone to show me around campus."

"What?" Caroline's face twisted in her shock. "What do you mean that you're not here on behalf of Klaus? You have to be. Where is he?" Walking out the door and past Rebekah, Caroline began to look around her. "Klaus!" She called, peering to the corners as if he could shrink or spill out of the walls like one of those horrid movies that Matt liked.

"He's not here," Rebekah repeated herself. "I'm here on my own. I am no longer a part of Nik' life."

"What?" Caroline's mouth hung open and her eyes were wide with disbelief.

"Nik allowed me to leave New Orleans. However, I can never come back," Rebekah told her.

"Why? What did you do? What did he do?" Caroline looked shaken as she walked back into her room and sat down on her bed.

"Long ago I helped bring Mikael back into our lives before we ran to Chicago. He found out and lost his mind. Instead of killing me, Nik told me to leave," Rebekah summarized the tale because she did not feel like going over the finer details. She wanted to just get on with it if Caroline could snap out of her stupor.

Staring at Rebekah, Caroline seemed to be trying to process everything she had been told her. "So, you're never going back?"  
"Never is a long time, Caroline. You are just beginning. One day you will understand that many things can happen in a hundred, two hundred or five hundred years," Rebekah explained, still feeling anxious. "Now, if you do not mind I would like to begin my life."

"Who's stopping you?" Caroline snapped and then closed her eyes when Rebekah frowned. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound like that. I'm just so shocked about everything that you just said."

"Is there something that you would do if we were friends?" Rebekah asked Caroline.

Smiling, Caroline to her feet. "Yes. Shopping. And then maybe some sappy movies and ice cream. I mean we're vampires. We can eat whatever we want."

"Alright. Thank you. That would be wonderful," Rebekah had replied.

Later in the week they gathered at the Salvatores about some urgent new problem that the gang had to deal with. Rebekah enjoyed taking part in these silly little dramas much more than she would ever allow anyone in the group to know. It was wonderful. Being in school was wonderful. Hanging out with Caroline, Elena and Bonnie was wonderful.

However, in her quiet moments Rebekah would lock herself in the bathroom of whoever's home she was in and cry. She would remember her tumultuous years by Nik's side and allow all that pain to pour through her and outward.

Tonight, she was staying in the dorm room. She was laughing at something Caroline was saying about some new fashion statement that their professor was making. Feeling the hair stand up on the back of her neck, her head whirled toward the window. But there was nothing there. Smiling at the girl's, she excused herself.

Walking outside, Rebekah stood in the open and waited for him to reveal himself. "Hello, Rebekah."

"Nik," Rebekah replied as he came to stand beside her.

"Did you change your mind and decide to kill me after all?" Rebekah murmured feeling her body tense for the inevitable fight for her life.

"No," Klaus informed him with smile.

"Then why are you here?" Rebekah asked, turning to look at him. Then she noticed the way that his eyes trailed upward toward a certain window. "I should have known. Your here for Caroline. You do know that she's trying to live her life, don't you?"

Klaus sighed, staring at the ground. "Yes, I do now that. That does not mean that I will not come to check on her from time to time. One day she will come to me. I am sure of it." Flicking his gaze to Rebekah momentarily, his head moved back to stare at the starry sky. "And one day I believe that you will return to me as well, Bekah."

Whirling her head to stare at Klaus, Rebekah pursed her lips. "I suppose that I may one day," looking up at the window, she spoke again. "And I believe that you are right. One day Caroline will come to you. I hope that you will be the man that she deserves." Klaus opened his mouth to object when Rebekah continued. "Because I know that you are capable of being a great and kind man one day, Nik, and that you two will do great things together."

Taking a step toward the door, Rebekah smiled, "Good-bye, Nik."

"Good-bye, Bekah," Klaus called before speeding off.

Rebekah walked back up the stairs slowly. She was shocked to find Caroline sitting on the top on the stairs with a grin. "How was Klaus?"

"Well," Rebekah replied, taking a seat beside the much younger vampire. "You do know that's he never going to give up on you, yes?"

"I know," Caroline said with a chuckle. "That's why I care about him in spite of myself. It's crazy. I know I shouldn't but I can't help thinking that one day he'll be better."

"He will be, Caroline, don't give up on him," Rebekah whispered, patting Caroline on the arm before getting up to walk back to the dorm room. Now, that she was free to live her life she was determined to enjoy every second until Nik came back for her and Caroline. Hopefully, they would all be ready to accept their roles as a family. Always and forever.

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Peace,**

**LL**


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